The Big Ten will be quite a bit bigger for 2024. Oregon, Washington, USC and UCLA join the venerable Midwestern conference to give the league a whopping 18 teams for the coming season. 

Those Pac-12 schools may compete on the field, but it takes just as much work to compete in the pregame festivities with the Big Ten stalwarts. They know how to do a party right. 

When it comes to pregame experience, nothing beats college football. The tailgating and build-up are more important than the actual games in some towns, and everyone wants bragging rights as the top partiers in the conference. 

These tailgating and pregame traditions and rituals become engrained in the campus and town itself, showing off for visiting fans and setting the tone for a beautiful day for football. Nothing says fall in the Midwest like a few cold drinks and good times as another Big Ten season kicks off. And that now includes a little college football betting, with wagering legal in many of the states that contain Big Ten schools.

For the third year in a row, Bookies.com has compiled a comprehensive list of the top Big Ten pregame destinations. The list is borne from an algorithm based on multiple factors. Among them: 

• Location: Close to the action, accessible to fans
• Tailgating: The ability to park and enjoy a crisp fall day with a beverage and grill
• Entertainment Around Stadium: A vibrant bar and restaurant scene within walking distance to your seat
• Family Sentiment: Is the area safe and entertaining for kids and those with kids?

The western schools have their own flavor, and they don’t mess around. Washington and Oregon, more notably, ranked 1-2 in the 2023 pregame experience rankings for the Pac-12. 

Here are all Big Ten football pregame destinations, ranked. 

Big Ten Pregame Rankings 2024

18. Rutgers 

Sure, Rutgers finished last in the Big Ten, but in terms of overall score, it would still rank higher than four schools in the SEC. No Big Ten spot ranked lower for overall entertainment, mainly because the bar scene isn’t close and not much else is from that angle. The comparative lack of outside fun doesn’t stop the Scarlet Knights on the field; they were 5-2 at SHI Stadium last season. (2023 ranking: 14th)

17. Maryland 

Maryland has a campus worth walking around, and its location is as easy as one can hope in the snarled greater D.C. area. But families gave it a low score and the Terps didn’t get the entertainment vote, though Legacy Plaza and Terp Alley have something for everyone. (2023 ranking: 13th)

RELATED: SEC Pregame Destination Rankings 2024: Georgia Favored Once Again

16. UCLA 

The Rose Bowl is a sight to see, especially as the sun sets behind the Pacific Ocean. But for Bruins games, the stadium is the experience. UCLA ranked bottom-four in three of the four key categories. It’s not a surprise that location – nearly 45 minutes in a car from campus – and family sentiment did not score high. Still, going to the Rose Bowl itself for a game is worth the trip. (2023 ranking: 11th Pac-12)

15. Purdue

Want to take your kids to a safe and fun Big Ten locale? Purdue is the place to go, ranking fifth among all schools in the family categories with the band playing, inflatable games, and other kid-friendly events. But for everyone else, West Lafayette fell short. No school ranked lower for location, and limited tailgating put it well behind in a tailgating-rich conference. There’s a beer garden, but the bars aren’t close. (2023 ranking: 12th)

14. USC

USC is putting football back on the map in Southern Cal, and its embracement of the L.A. scene helps make it No. 2 in its new Big Ten home in entertainment. Conversely, however, it ranked dead last as a spot for families, thanks in large part to a campus crime rate that ranked three times higher than the Big Ten average. Traffic and crowds push the Trojans’ location score down. Like UCLA, however, being in the stadium (Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum) is worth the trip. (2023 ranking: 8th Pac-12)

13. Illinois 

Illinois ranked in the top half for entertainment, due to the myriad bars within a mile of Memorial Stadium. The university also sets up activities for the kids well. But tailgating ranked among the Big Ten’s lowest and the location didn’t get good marks despite a relative ease to reach. (2023 ranking: 11th)

RELATED: Big Ten Football 2024 Team-By-Team Miles Traveled

12. Northwestern 

No school ranked higher for families, mainly due to the ultra-safe environment and lack of overly huge crowds. It also got high marks from those who want to hit the bars; being a straight shot to the adjacent nation’s third-largest city helps. It’s where away fans often travel to see their teams on the road. A new stadium slated to open in 2026 could dramatically alter this score. (2023 ranking: 10th)

11. Indiana 

Tailgating is what it’s about in Bloomington on fall home games. Lots are everywhere and it’s the central hub of pregame entertainment. The location is easy to get to and families gave the area high marks as well. If you don’t like tailgating, it may not be the spot in the fall. Come back during basketball season and check out Assembly Hall instead. (2023 ranking: 9th)

10. Michigan State

East Lansing has something for everyone, and the rankings highlight it. MSU ranked seventh or eighth in three of the four sports and an OK-enough 11th out of 18 in the other. It gets dinged for not having a ton else to do except partake, and prime tailgating appears to be mainly limited to donors and their friends. (2023 ranking: 8th)

9. Michigan

The UM golf course across the street from Michigan Stadium gets turned into a premier tailgating location for Wolverine's home games. It’s a big part of why Michigan pregames rank No. 2 in location and in the top half of tailgating as well. Families ranked the spot in the middle of the pack, and the bar scene is a solid mile-plus from the gates, but this year’s vibe should get to a new level as the defending national champions. (2023 ranking: 7th)

8. Minnesota 

Huntington Bank Stadium is adjacent to Minneapolis on the UM campus, and offers something for everyone, from restaurants to bars to a TopGolf. It’s relatively easy to get to considering its Twin Cities spot, and ranked No. 1 in the entire Big Ten in total entertainment. Tailgating isn’t the wild experience it is elsewhere, but it exists. (2023 ranking: 6th)

7. Oregon

The run is centered around tailgating at the big lot next to Autzen Stadium. The atmosphere can get electric, yet the pleasing family atmosphere sticks, which is why the Ducks rank Top 5 in the Big Ten in both instances in their first year in the conference. There isn’t as much from an entertainment standpoint, and the stadium isn’t on campus proper. But fans certainly find ways to have fun regardless. (2023 ranking: 2nd Pac-12)

RELATED: 2024 Big 12 Pregame Destination Rankings: Kansas State Takes The Lead

6. Nebraska 

Cornhuskers fans are known for being welcoming to opposing fans, but they’re nice to each other, too. Nebraska ranks ranked No. 2 in the Big Ten for families, and there is enough entertainment and traditions surrounding Memorial Stadium to keep fans entertained, including the Do the Dock tailgate and Husker National Pavilion, which offers food, music, and traditions of their own. (2023 ranking: 5th)

5. Washington

Washington ranked No. 1 in Pac-12 pregame run for 2023. The Big Ten takes it up a notch in many ways, but the Huskies debut in the upper third of this tough conference. The views of Lake Washington east of the stadium can’t be beaten, and the tailgating is among the best in the country. How tough is it to crack the Big Ten pregame hierarchy? Only one school ranks in the Top 9 in all four major categories: this one. (2023 ranking: 1st Pac-12)

4. Penn State

The knock on Happy Valley is it’s in the middle of nowhere, and there isn’t much to do. The entertainment score was dinged for this reason, but the location proved to be very popular among visitors and fans – it’s all about the football here. Penn State ranked No. 2 in the Big Ten in tailgating, and got high marks from families as well. The bars are a 30-minute hike, dinging the entertainment score. (2023 ranking: 4th)

3. Iowa

From a pure entertainment standpoint, there is a strong bar scene, ample for those who want to partake, but it’s not legendary. However, every other aspect of a Saturday home game at Iowa State is elite, and the scores reflect it. Iowa ranked No. 3 for families due to the friendly and safe nature of the fans and surroundings, and No. 5 for tailgating despite limited space reserved for it. (2023 ranking: 3rd)

2. Ohio State 

Do you want a big-time college football feel? Columbus and Buckeyes football is it. Every pregame feels like a lead-up to something big, and the mammoth Ohio Stadium doesn’t disappoint. OSU ranked as the top tailgating spot in the Big Ten, and Top 3 in total entertainment and location in the center of the big campus. Families dinged it pretty hard. As we said last year, “The language and vitriol created by such high-stakes games week after week means you’ll need to earmuff it for the little ones.” It’s a price to pay for being in the big time. (2023 ranking: 2nd)

1. Wisconsin 

It’s always a wild scene around Camp Randall Stadium and the infamous State Street on football Saturdays. The atmosphere is different, which is why Wisconsin ranked No. 1 in location – sandwiched between lakes Mendota and Monona and down from the state capitol building. The party starts early and doesn’t really end. With all the type of fun being had, it’s likely not a shock that families didn’t rank it quite as high as other spots. But it’s just high enough to keep Madison and Wisconsin on top of the Big Ten pregame rankings for the second year in a row. (2023 ranking: 1st)